Thread: If you're not looking for a hobby ...

I'll throw in on this one with a bit more of an answer than may be warranted, but why not?

I love the things in life that reflect the investment of time, of craftsmanship, of art. Having now held razors that are generations old, I get a little connection to times gone by, but also to hands that cared about what they were making. In a throw-away culture, that matters to me. I appreciate things that have been handled with care by others.

When I began contemplating straight-razor shaving, I did it thinking of my grandfathers, great-grandfathers, etc. for whom a straight was the only option. They all lived to be reasonably old men and all had some sort of appreciation for fine things, even if poor. My great-grandfather cherished his Bible and his banjo. Another was a coal miner, but insisted on dressing well. Another was a car salesman who had previously been much more, but was ruined by the Crash.

The one thing all these men shared in common was that they wouldn't be seen in public with a stubbled face. That meant they all paid close attention to their straights. At one point, I even had my grandfather's strop. When I inherited it, it was immaculate.

I have a beard that starts curling the instant it emerges from my skin. My skin, itself, is very sensitive, and fair. Shaving has ALWAYS been a pita. It has NEVER been pleasurable.

So at the tender age of forty-six, I finally started down the road of straight-razor shaving. I've got one good shave under my belt, but that one shave was more of a pleasure than I've EVER had with some mass-produced pos from Gillette or anyone else. It was the first shave I ever had that felt "right." It was a good thing that took a little more preparation, but was a portion of my finite time that felt immensely well-spent.

Beyond all the foregoing, I happen to live in West Virginia. My friends, neighbors, loved ones are subjected to the use of 3.5 MILLION pounds of high explosives per day in a coal extraction process called "Mountaintop Removal." It's a crime that ruins our communities, poisons our children and steals our future. It is, in fact, the single most UN-sustainable action taking place in the United States.

As such, sustainability means a LOT to me. By abandoning cartridge shaving, I was able to commit to an act that meant I would NEVER again buy a "disposable" blade on a planet being daily assaulted by the very idea of "disposable," and could pass it on to my teenage son.

Is that a hobby? Perhaps. Something inside me says otherwise.

As a new Straight user I'm going to jump in on this thread. For me this is strictly a hobby. I have been using several different shaving methods over the years mostly cartridges and electrics and because I didn't know any better that's what I stuck with.
One shave sticks out in my mind that brings me to this forum and shaving with straights. When I was getting married back in 1993, I went to my local barber to have my hair done and get a shave. He used a straight for that shave and I never had a more smooth and comfortable shave before or since! In fact, up until a few months ago I didn't even know you could get a straight razor. It was just so far off my radar that it just didn't even register. In anycase, I saw sraights on ebay and while I did not buy one then, the pictures and the memory of that incredibly smooth shave back in 1993 kept on tugging on me. finally I started to do some research and it brought me to SRP. I was amazed that there was a group of people that not only used straights but knew how to care for them too! I finally bought a straight, hones, strop and sundry accessories. While I am learning to shave with straights at this point it is nothing but a hobby as I still use cartridges during the week. I don't know at this point if I will ever use only straights as my primary means of shaving but my experience is that they give the best shave out there even with all of todays "modern" shaving technology.
I like the fact that I am using a system of shaving that is well over 100 years old that is better and cheaper than the modern way of doing things.
In addition, when you take into account the "manliness" factor of holding a blade to your neck that could literally slit your throat and skillfully using it without a cut, I just like it!
I know I got off of the topic but just wanted to give my perspective on the hobby aspect of it!